Fairless Love
by alphabetgirl
Summary: "You can't chose who you love Tenten, that's just the way it is." She said to me. And I thought 'All was fair in love and war.' Guess not.
1. The Unwanted Truth

**Fairless Love**

**People say **_**'All is fair in love and war.' **_**When the truth is, love is the most unfair thing I have ever heard of.**

CHAPTER ONE: THE UNWANTED TRUTH

I jumped and threw a kick to the middle of his chest, the impact pushing him backwards, and then he disappeared in a puff of white smoke. _'A substitution jutsu!' _I thought inwardly. I whirled around, searching for him when I felt a sharp pain centered around my lower back and suddenly the ground rushed up to my face, and I ate dirt.

I lay on the ground, my face in the rough dirt; I didn't want to turn over and face him because I knew I would be met by a smirk and a chuckle. He had beaten me…Again. "Are you just going to lay there for the rest of the day, Tenten?" came a teasing, familiar voice. I knew he would keep pestering me until I rolled over and when I did he would tease me about how he had beaten me once more.

Just wanting to get it over with I rolled over, surrendering myself too easily, and was met by his pale, white eyes. An unwelcome shiver ran up my spine when I looked back at him… Well more like _glared_ back at him. "What a shame, you were so close to finally defeating me….but I guess your just not good enough, maybe it's just your destiny to always be one step below me." He mocked, flashing a well-known smirk, daring me to argue with him. And as if to put even more emphasis on his bothersome comment he knelt down and put his face close to mine.

I opened my mouth to make my smart-ass comment but the sudden closeness of his face made me stop. It also made blood rush to my face….and I _never_ blush, not ever. I managed to roll my eyes at him and I quickly got to my feet before I could embarrass myself further. "I'll see you tomorrow." I mumbled to him before I started to walk back to my welcoming home where a soothing shower and warm sesame dumplings awaited me.

I unlocked the front door using the spare house key that was kept under the pot of yellow tulips we had by the door mat and after putting the old key back under the flowers walked in. The familiar scent of vanilla air freshener welcomed me home as I made for the stairs. "Mom, I'm home!" I shouted before climbing up the set of stairs that obviously led the second story of my house.

When I entered the bathroom I closed the door and striped off my sweaty clothes which where now covered in dirt and dust. I released my chocolate coloured hair down from the buns which kept it out of my face before turning on the shower and stepping in.

'_What is _wrong_ with me? Why do I always feel so weird around Neji…? I never used to…' _I asked myself. It had started a few months ago when we were on a mission… I closed my eyes and let the memory take me over.

***

_Searing pain ran up my leg and through out my body and I crumpled to the ground against a thick tree trunk. A kunai had punctured deep into the side of my left thigh and the pain was almost unbearable. I knew I would live through the injury but I was in total agony at the moment._

_And then I saw it. The huge Fūma Shuriken heading toward me, its four sharp, deadly blades spinning swiftly as though to tell me I was going to die in a matter minutes. I knew I couldn't get up and run, I would just fall back down. Instinctively, I reached in to my shuriken holster and threw several regular-sized shuriken at the much larger one, hoping to re-direct its aim. _

_The weapons struck each other with a loud, audible clang. The Demon Wind Shuriken veered to my right but I was still in its line of aim. I reached into holster once again, preparing for another throw- only to find that it was _empty_. _'What!? Impossible! I can't be out of weapons! This can't be happening!' _I panicked and attempted to drag myself out of its way, but I wasn't fast enough. The over-sized shuriken was speeding towards me and I couldn't do anything about it. _

_I was going to die. Right here. I didn't want to die. There was so much I wanted to do. I wanted to get married, I wanted to join the ANBU Black Ops. But none of that was going to happen. I shut my eyes tight, I thought about my family, my mother and father and brother. I thought about my team mates, my friends. I braced myself for the hit but it never came, as I felt my body leave the ground._

_I opened my eyes to see who my saviour was. I stared at his familiar face, not knowing what to think. I stayed silent until he stopped running and landed effortlessly on the ground._

_As soon as Neji set me down on my feet, I gasped in pain and felt myself crumple to the ground. "Are you okay?" he asked with just the slightest amount of caring in his voice._

"_Oh yeah, I'm perfectly fine, I just like to fall helplessly to the floor sometimes," I said very sarcastically, "no I'm not okay. I can't walk; the kunai went in too deep." I rolled my eyes in annoyance, and stared menacingly at the kunai, which was still logged in my leg. _

"_This might sting a little bit." He said. Before I could ask _what_ might sting he had grabbed the kunai that dug in to my leg and yanked it out, probably a little harder than needed. _

"_Oww!" I complained, "that hurt."_

"_I told you I might sting. Didn't I?_

"_Stay here." He said, "we'll come back for you when we know they're gone." He gave me several shuriken in case any of the rouge ninja found me here. _'It's not like I can go anywhere else.' _I thought._

_Just as he was about to leave I shouted, "Neji, wait!" He turned back to me in annoyance. "Thanks, for saving me I mean."_

"_Hmph," Was all I got as a reply. _

***

I opened my eyes and let out a heavy, hopeless sigh. _'What is wrong with me?!' _I finished my shower and towelled myself dry. I threw on a red t-shirt with an intricate black dragon coming from the bottom, and some of my favourite black training pants. Then I lay back on my bed and stared at the texture on the ceiling, think about how I should spend the rest of the day.

Out on the streets of Konaha, people were busy doing whatever they were doing. I walked to the small hotel, I knew Temari always stayed at when she was here.

After the first time I took the chunin exams, and failed, Temari and I had become...I wouldn't say friends but she and I were close enough, and I knew she would help me, she cared- even though she would never admit it.

I walked in to the crowded lobby and went to the front desk, asking which room she was staying in. After acquiring what I needed to know I headed towards the room Temari was in.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked after I had knocked on the door, "come on in, I'll make some tea."

She brought two cups and a steaming pot to the living room and we sipped our green tea in a calming silence for a little while before she asked, "so Tenten, not that I don't appreciate your visit but, why are u here? Is something wrong?"

"Well um, I, uh..........." _'How do I put this?' _"I... I have a question I need to ask you."

"Okay, well what is it?"

"Okay, well when I'm around," _'Did I trust Temari enough to tell her? Yes. I did.' _ "Neji," I watched as her eye brows shot up and she leaned forward in renewed interest, "I always feel......weird."

"Explain _weird_."

"Um... I sort of get self-conscious, and I start stuttering... and today when we were training I..._blushed._"

"Like you are now? Or worse?" She said laughing. I threw a pillow at her face and she stopped and stuck her tongue out at me.

"Seriously Tem, what's wrong with me?"

She laughed again. "Nothing's wrong with you Tenten. That's the way I feel around Shikamaru!" Temari and Shikamaru had been going out for a little while now, but not many people knew it and I was just one of the handful, but they didn't care about the publicity- they were in _love._

"So I..." Temari nodded, a happy smile upon her face. "I LOVE HIM?!!!" I screamed- partially in shock and partially in.....anger?

"What? You don't want to love him?" Temari asked, also shocked, but because I had just screamed in her face.

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO! I'M FIFTEEN FOR PETE'S SAKE!!!"

"You can't choose who you love Tenten, that's just the way it is."

'_I thought all was fair in love and war.'_

FIN.

How will Tenten take her new discovery? Will she face the fact that she loves him? Or will she continue to hide herself from the truth? Will Neji ever find out?

Chapter 2 coming up soon (if I don't get writer's block again)

**Sorry I took so long. I got a major case of writer's block again around Tenten's Flashback. Still R&R PLZ!!!**


	2. Too Late

**Fairless Love**

CHAPTER TWO: TOO LATE

'_It's impossible. I can't be capable of that. Can I? No. I-I just can't. I don't want to. It's just insane. Temari doesn't know what she's talking about. I can't _love _him. Of all people, definitely not him. I'm only fifteen.'_

I lie in my bed thinking about what Temari had told me. The words run around in my mind over and over again until my head hurts. I close my eyes and Neji's face comes up behind my eye lids. I gasp in astonishment and my eyes snap open. The clock on my bedside table says it's already 12:24. _Great, it's twelve-thirty and I'm still not asleep._ I groan and rearrange myself and the pillows around me once again. I don't know when, but some time between 12:30 and 1:00 I fall asleep.

I dream about Neji. What a surprise. We're at the training grounds, at the monument. He pulls out a bouquet of peach coloured roses. He gives them to me and says, "Tenten, why are you screaming at me?" Suddenly, I'm in my living room. Temari is there and so is my little brother. My brother says, "Tenten! Neji's waiting for you!" I turn my head towards the door and sure enough, he's there…in a tux.

"I'm not ready yet!" I say. Temari comes over and gives me her fan and goes over to the kitchen. She comes out with a black dress. She then takes her fan back and now I am wearing the dress she gave me, but it's blue. I walk towards him and I pass a mirror, that's not really there in reality, and see that my hair is down. It's grown longer, now down to my lower back.

I go to where he's standing, but now he's behind me, playing with my hair. He goes to whisper something…

I jolt awake. Instinctively I glance towards my digital clock. It shows that its 4:25…am. Training's at 5:35. _Might as well just get up now. _I rub sleep from my eyes and brush my teeth and wash my face. Then I shrug on my usual training clothes and prepare my scrolls and weapons. I brush my long hair and search for the hair ties I _misplaced_. I search until it's 5:28, and I give up and get a different pair… _I'll have to get more soon…I'm on my last pair._ I twist my hair into their usual up-do and headed for the door.

Halfway to the grounds…I get this feeling in throughout my bones. I ignore it for now, but as I get closer to my destination it grows stronger. I step out into the clearing and there he is. Meditating under a tree, and I realize that, that feeling was nervousness. I bite my lip as I walk over. I'm nervous to train with Neji? Why? We do this _everyday_. Why would I be nervous?

We begin to spar as usual and this time I lose badly. Really badly, worse than usual. I was no where near close to winning. In the end, I end up face down in the dirt, my hands pinned to my back by his. Despite the fact I'm face first in the dirt, there's a tingling feeling in my hands…where his are. He lets go of his hold over me- his slender fingers running over my arms lightly enough to make me shiver- and I turn over. I can see his face, but he's not looking at me. Arms crossed, he's gazing above, probably at some birds or something. As I study him I realize that he looks so peaceful, serene even. I would love to take a picture of him like that, or have him painted, right from this view, just like this.

"Tenten, why are you staring at me?"

My eyes snap towards his and I find myself lost. Lost in pure white eyes. I find my brain again and blink several times.

"Oh...Um...I…Uh…I-

He turns away from me, mutters something that sounds like "fan girl" and walks away. I stand up, blushing no less, from my position on the ground and begin to head for the nearest dumpling restaurant, but as I reach the edge of the clearing I turn to see if he's still there, he is. And he's staring right at me. I can see a smile tugging at the corners of his lips then he turns his back to me once again and walks away. I spin around on my heels and sigh. Then, realizing what I just did, clap my hands up to my mouth. I slap myself mentally again and again. How could have I acted so stupid?? _'Get a grip on yourself.'_ I roll my eyes and calmly walk away, wishing I could run.

I walk mindlessly around town, looking at busy pedestrians and little kids. But in the end I find myself at the front gates of the Hyuuga Compound… _'What the hell am I doing here?'_ Confused, I decide to just go home, take a bath and then lie around and do nothing. Be bored.

I unlock the front door with the same old key and slam the door shut behind me. I then re-lock the door and drag myself up the steps and into the bathroom.

With the door shut firmly, I strip down to my bra and panties. I turn on the tap and splash cold water on to my face and fill the tub with hot water. When the water is to my liking I remove my undergarments and lower myself in.

***

The fluffy cotton of my robe is warm and cozy, welcoming me into its feathery threads as I slide my arms through it and do up the tie.

I don't do up my hair yet, wanting it to air dry but I make a mental note to remember that they're on my dresser, but instead just slip them onto my wrist. I head down the oak stairs and into the living room.

I throw myself onto the couch attempting to drown myself in its comfy cushions, when my mom calls from the kitchen, "Tenten? Can you pick up some flowers from Yamanaka flower shop for me? Maiko-chan just graduated from the academy yesterday."

"Yeah, sure." I reply, getting off the couch and walking back up the stairs and into my room, where I change into shorts and a stretchy, pink t-shirt. My hair isn't dry yet but I decide to put it up anyways.

Not bothering to lock the door behind me, I saunter around the corner to the only flower shop in the village and what I see…kills my heart.

As I stride into the shop, I see Sakura, at the checkout counter. She has her elbows on the smooth looking marble and is leaning forward- toward Neji. As she flips her short pink hair, my first thought is to go up to her and slap her, right across the face. But then I remember that it would be kind of weird just to go and slap a fellow kunoichi. My second thought is: _'Why would I want to hit Sakura? She didn't do anything to me. All she's doing now is flirting…With Neji...It's not like I really do like Neji. We're barely even friends, just teammates._ And even though I'm saying this to myself I know it's a lie. A rush of emotion builds up inside of me and that confirms everything.

Longing, jealousy, anger, lust, sorrow. Every one of those feelings tell me everything. I give up. I think I do love Neji. But I definitely do _not_ want to. I'm jealous of Sakura. Jealous that she's flirting with Neji and not me. I am mad at Sakura, _because_ she's flirting with Neji… but then again, it's not like he's my boyfriend or anything. I want Neji. I want to be his and I want him to be mine. I want him…but he's flirting right back with Sakura.

Tears come to my eyes. I don't usually get all mushy like this and this makes me madder. I push them back, but a few escape and I wipe them away with a finger. I lost my chance. I denied that feeling in my stomach, thinking it was nothing. But Temari was right and now I lost.

"Hi, can I help you?" My eyes glance to where the voice came from and I see Ino by the back door. Only then do I realize how stupid I must look, just standing there staring at the two of them, tearing my heart out.

"Oh, um…I- I needed to pick up some flowers for my mom." My mouth is completely dry.

"You need any kind in particular?"

"Uh… Maybe a kind that means 'congrats' or whatever?"

"Sure, no problem." She gives me a look I can't really decode but it makes me feel self-conscious. She goes to a shelf and picks out some blue coloured flowers, I don't know what they're called.

Looking back to where the two of them were standing I see that they've left. Ino wraps up the flowers for me and I pay and go.

Walking home, I think about how stupid I was and how stupid he is. A voice in the back of my head says, _'Well it's your fault, you're the one who didn't jump at the chance.'_ I wish it would shut up, because I know it's true. I hate Neji. I know that's a lie but I feel like I do. How could he? But then again, it's not like he knew about my stupid crush anyways.

I slam the front door as I walk in, laying the flowers on the kitchen table. I walk into the back yard and find my stash of scrolls I keep in the shed. Anger takes over me, I throw weapon after weapon at the wooden post I set up in case I wanted any extra practice. But even as I take my anger at Sakura, Neji, and myself out on that wooden post, I still feel mad when I use up all the weapons in my scrolls. Panting lightly, I call the various weapons back to their scrolls and stow the scrolls back in the shed.

I can't believe this. I hate this, I hate it so much. I hate it so much and I do not want to see Neji ever again. _EVER AGAIN. Ever. _This is _so _unfair.

FIN.

Will Tenten confront Neji? Where does Temari fit into all this? Will Neji ever find out about Tenten's love?

**YEAH!! I finally finished!! Okay yeah I know it's not the best. Review anyways. At least fifteen…Please???**


	3. The Impossible

**Fairless Love**

CHAPTER THREE: THE IMPOSSIBLE

I didn't show up at the training grounds the next day. Or the day after that. Or the one after that. I hated him, I never wanted to see his face again. I don't think I would have ever shown up at training again- I could easily train on my own, like I had been doing for the past days- had it not been for Neji showing up at my house two weeks after my strike began.

__

I was in my room, reading when I heard the door bell ring. I didn't think much of it then, thinking it was just a friend of mom's.

"Tenten?! Neji's at the door for you!!"

That caught me off guard. I asked her what she said, and she replied saying the exact same thing. Damn it. That _asshole! _The nerve he must have if he thinks I would ever want to talk to him. I couldn't believe he was here. I considered just sneaking out of my window, but my mother already knew I was in here. So I did the only thing I could think of, I put on what I hoped was a cold face and went down the freaking stairs. If the cold shoulder didn't work, I was screwed.

During the time I wouldn't show up at training, there were no missions. Which was excellent for me, but even if there was I don't even know if I would go. I might've just ditched it. But there weren't any so I had all this time to myself.

Usually I would have trained with Neji all day. But I was on strike. I know that just because he was flirting that one time with Sakura, it didn't give me the right to just ditch practice, but over the past two weeks I had figured out other reasons to not go, such as, working me too hard. Some days, when we trained, we would train all day long, from five in the morning until twelve at night or until I passed out, which ever came first. Then we would do the same thing tomorrow.

Sure, I loved to train. I loved it almost as much as Rock Lee, it was hard for me not to show up. I would tell myself that the next day I would go to the training grounds at the regular time and see if he was there, but then I would see him with Sakura, and the things they did made me want to slap Sakura and kiss _him_.

I've seen him around the village with Sakura, always flirting. He would intertwine their fingers, or he would whisper in her ear. Several times, I could have sworn that he would glimpse in my direction, smirk and then weave his arm around Sakura's waist, or kiss her cheek, making white-hot fury bubble underneath my skin. Like he was almost trying to make me jealous.

I just couldn't fucking believe it. What. An. _Asshole._ Screw him.

I dragged my unwilling feet down the stairs of hell. Muttering to myself about how shitty this was the entire way. My eyes narrowed as soon as I laid my eyes on his face. But I still got that warm feeling throughout my body.

Mom probably went back to the kitchen or wherever, but she wasn't there so it was just me and the traitor who never knew he was loyal. Leaning against the railing I attempted to show a bored, careless look, even though both sorrow and anger lurked beneath my skin. Resisting the urge to yell at him I said in a cocky yet calm manner, "Do you want to go sit in the living room?"

He said 'yes' and I led him past the kitchen and to the spacious sitting area where he sat on the couch, while I stretched out on the love seat. Not wasting any time, he got straight to the point, "Tenten, why haven't you been showing up at practice?"

I was about to tell him off, that I didn't give a shit about him and what he did with Sakura anymore, but stopped myself just in time because I remembered that he didn't actually know I was mad at him, or that I was unwillingly in love with him, or the reason I wasn't going to practice. Apparently Neji didn't know a lot of things.

He stared at me, waiting for my answer. Crap. I needed to think of an excuse, fast. Um…I had my period? No. To personal. Shit. My mind whirling, I said the first okay-ish thing that came to my head.

"Does it really matter to you Neji? It's not like you actually care, you just want to know why I haven't been training with you."

_What?! Did that even make sense? Isn't that just what he said in the first place?_

"Look Tenten, you can't keep skipping out on training. I- Lee and Gai have been worried about you.

"I haven't been not training," I retorted, "I can train on my own you know."

"Hmph," He said, rolling his eyes, "Watever, just come to practice tomorrow or you'll be a weak link on our next mission."

And then he just left. I let out an exasperating sigh and rubbed my temples. _Why'd he even care? What just happened to my 'sparring partner abuse' excuse? _Why? Why did I always have to screw up around Neji? What happened to my cold shoulder? I have serious issues.

Walking back through the hallway I saw a piece of paper taped to the front door. Ten digits were written neatly on it- a phone number. Underneath the number, in the same elegant script was a small message, _Call me._ I stared the number then read the message, then I would look over the number again and re- read the message. _What the _hell _is this?_ I thought. Was this some kind of sick joke? Rolling my eyes I was about to tear up the stupid note when a thought sprung into my head.

What if this wasn't just some joke? Maybe someone really did want me to call them? I studied the number on the paper again. But even if it wasn't a trick who could've put the note there? The only person that had been in the house that wasn't a family member was- No. Impossible. There was _no _way. Was there?

__

Clutching the note in my hand, I ran up to my room and snatched my cell phone from my desk. Sitting on my bed, I brought up my Contact List, and scrolled down to the H section. And when I found Neji's number I compared it to the one on the sheet of paper. They were the same.

After selecting his number, I hit the tiny green button with shaking fingers and held the phone to my ear. It began to ring, once, twice…I hung up. Trying and failing to swallow the lump in my throat, nervous thoughts ran in and out of my mind. This had to be a trick. No way would Neji want me to call him. Would he? But what about Sakura? Did he know? About me, liking him? The thought made me feel nauseous, I wanted him to know…but at the same time I didn't. He likes Sakura…So what if he finds out? Won't it just get all awkward and weird?

I placed the phone on my bedside table and lay back in my bed, closing my eyes and envisioning me and Neji as a couple. The pictures come easily to my head. Him and me, holding hands, hugging…kissing. But then I got one of those occasional feelings that make me think that the images in my head are so wrong, so out of place that I don't love him, maybe I really don't, maybe this is all just a messed up dream, and the pictures shatter from my mind…and of course, as always it only lasts a few seconds, so I am soon seeing us together again.

If he really wants to tell me something, it can wait until tomorrow. But am I going to training tomorrow? _Probably_, I decided, I missed it. So I gathered all my scrolls and weapons and set them up in a neat pile by the door. Despite my anger and jealousy I found myself animated to go back training, I wondered how far behind I was…never mind animation, I was going to get my ass kicked.

__

I woke up at five o' clock in the morning the next day, groggy and sleep-drunken. As I washed my face and tied up my hair, I thought about that note…Did Neji really want to tell me something? Or did I just narrowly avoid embarrassing myself? Regardless of everything I was wishing it was something romantic. Maybe he wanted to tell me he loved me too…Like that would happen. But I can dream right? It's all about him and Sakura now. Hmph. Either way, I would find out today.

Excited to see what would happen when I got there, I stepped down the same stairs I called hell yesterday, almost giddy. But when I arrived, there was almost no sound. Just the wind. There were no battle cries from Lee, and no sounds of Neji's palms striking the wooden posts over and over again. And when I steped out from the edge of the opening where I was, I didn't see Neji meditating, or Lee doing push-ups. There was no one there.

_I bet this is a test. Either someone's gonna jump out at me as an ambush or…they're somewhere on the grounds pretending to be 'captured'_

Instinctively jumping to a defensive position, I wandered the field waiting for an attack. Then, only partially surprising me, hands wrapped around my eyes, blocking off my sight. Wasting no time I thrust my elbow back hitting my captor's stomach, getting only a small grunt in return. I grabbed his or her index finger and yanked away from my face and spun around twisting the person's arm in the process so that my opponent's arm (who I now saw was of course, Neji) was pinned to his back.

_Hah. _I thought _you insult me by saying I'll be a weak link, and now look: I've finally beaten you. _I thought for sure that I had won. But then he took his leg and wove it around mine, and pulled forward, sending me to the ground. The ground hit my back hard, knocking the breath out of me. As if to say 'I won, you didn't.' he pinned my arms by my sides and straddled my waist.

I gasped quietly. It was a victorious gesture… but there was something about it. Something almost….almost _flirtatious. _"What did you do that for?"

"You attacked me. I had to defend myself." I stated, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, which, it kind of was.

He didn't say anything afterwards, but he didn't move either. I was about to ask him what he was doing on top of me and if he would get off, and decided against it in the end- even though he might not enjoy this, I did. It was silent.

And then the impossible happened.

"I know." He said, "I know you have feelings for me Tenten, admit it."

I didn't say anything. I couldn't. My mouth was dry and my body was numb. How? When? This was impossible! Completely, utterly impossible. He gave me a well-known smirk, "and you didn't call me either. Why?" Oh jeez. And I thought yesterday was hell. I should've told him to get off. Now I was freaking trapped.

_THEN,_ the sky fell down.

"Speechless," he said in a monotone voice, and then in the most casual voice I had _ever_ heard him use, "So I'll pick you up at six okay?" They he left. He got up, and walked away. Leaving me, on the ground, staring up at the sky… wondering, _what the hell just happened?_

____

Oh my god. _"I'll pick you up at six."_ He'd pick me up at six. Oh Kami. I was going on date with Neji Hyuuga. The Neji Hyuuga. Yes!

Oh Kami. I was going on a date with Neji Hyuuga. The genius, Neji Hyuuga. _Oh No._

Millions of questions jammed into my brain, all at once, automatically giving me a pounding headache. It was a good thing I knew a person who could immediately give me all the answers.

FIN.

* * *

OOH!!! He found out!! Well obviously. I know…this story's so predictable!! I'm sorry….Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. And boo you to everyone who hasn't. Just Kidding. But seriously. Please review.


	4. The Date

**Fairless Love **

CHAPTER FOUR: THE DATE

I run. I run from the training grounds, thoughts spinning in an overwhelming cyclone in my mind.

Sprinting into the hotel, I almost trip as I turn a sharp corner. "Temari-san!" I scream as I bang my fists on the wooden door, "I know you're in there! I need help!!!"

"Kami child. Calm yourself. What. Do. You. Want? I _was_ sleeping you know."

I push her back through the doorway and pulled the door shut with my foot.

"Help me." I gasp, "Neji. How'd he find out? I didn't tell anyone but you!" Then it hits me, like a huge smouldering rock. "You _told him?!" _How could she? I trusted her!

I scream at her again, regretting my words each time because this is entirely her fault but without her disloyalty I would have never gotten my date. But even so, the words continue to flow uncontrollably from my open mouth until I finally find the will power to stop.

"I'm sorry Temari-san…. I should have never said that," looking her squarely in the eyes I beg her to understand, I am just so confused. One day I see Neji flirting, unofficially dating Sakura and then the next, he asks me on a date? Something about that just doesn't make sense.

"Honestly Tenten? Seriously? You're so naïve, how can you not see through that?" She gives me one of those you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me looks but I still can't put two and two together… "We _planned_ it Tenten. We planned it all…I honestly didn't think it would work but you didn't even suspect a thing. I can honestly say I'm just a little bit disappointed,"

I stare at her in astonishment. It was all planned? Planned. Like, they all went somewhere and talked about me. Me and Neji? No, way. My eyes narrowed at her- why? Why would they do that? And who? Who was involved? I came here for answers and all I have now is more questions.

"What? Explain yourself- I'm not following this."

__

It was a loosely knitted plan, you could entirely tell that it was only put together in few hours, as she told me. How then actually pulled it off, and how I actually _fell_ for it- that's very disappointing. Now that I think about it, I should've seen through it. It's so simple and senseless and I feel really stupid that I didn't see it.

What had happened was, Neji had saw how weird I had been acting and how easily I was being beaten by him. Oddly enough, he decided to come and check up on me at home to make sure everything was okay but, thankfully Temari crossed his way and they got talking…and eventually Neji ended up knowing my one and only secret. So apparently Neji had just so happened to be unconsciously falling in love with yours truly as well.

When she told me that I _nearly_ fell off my chair, although I did spill my tea. At first, I refused to believe it was true until, to my horror, she actually called his cell and asked him to tell me himself that it was true. He did, of course shocking me further, but what was amazingly amusing was that he _stammered_. Neji Hyuuga, stammered. Incredible, isn't it?

Then, she continued, telling me how together Neji and her rounded up Sakura and Ino, whom we all go to for this kind of stuff. The four of them all headed Sakura's house where they circled her small kitchen table, everyone shouting out their own ideas until they thought of their semi-working plan.

They didn't really have a set time and place where it would all go down, but apparently, that day when I went to pick up those flowers for my mom, Ino saw me coming and immediately darted out of the shop before I came in to call Sakura and Neji to tell them to rush over. That's when I walked in and bawled my eyes out at the site of Sakura and Neji together. And basically it all added up to this little meeting right here.

Applying heavy pressure to my throbbing temple I say to Temari, "So now what?"

"Now we call Sakura and Ino. We only have two hours before he comes to pick you up." With that she whips out her phone and speedily dials unfamiliar numbers.

Great. This is going to be a disaster, I so cannot dance.

__

Within minutes, Ino and Sakura are here, pulling me into the bathroom, seating me on the toilet. They both take out matching makeup case-things filled with assorted pots of glitter and unknown cosmetics… well unknown to me at least.

Sakura sifts through hers until she produces a black pencil with a fitted cap on the top. Throwing the cap back into the bag she tells me to open my eyes wide and lifts my chin with one hand while the one with the black pencil crayon nears my eye.

"What are you doing?!" I shriek as I back away from that grotesque pencil that was just about to poke my eye out.

"Relax," Sakura says to me reassuringly, "It's an eyeliner pencil. You apply it just under you eye and then your eyes look bigger, and bolder. Don't worry; I know what I'm doing,"

"But you almost stabbed my eye!" I retort. I really don't want anything sharp near my eye. I kind of need that to see, you know.

"Like I said, _relax _Tenten. By the time we're finished with you, Neji will hardly recognize you," She says again, and then, "Wow, you have really great complexion"

Ino is rolling up my pant leg and suddenly gasps, "Oh kami! Your _legs_! Don't you shave them?!" I shake my head, not even knowing what that means, "Do you wax?" I shake my head back and forth once again. I've never heard of doing that, how do you do that?

"Oh it's okay Ino, I have waxing strips in my bag," says Sakura, and Ino lets out a sigh of relief. What does waxing, or shaving or whatever have to do with my legs?

__

I do not like having my legs waxed. The pain is close to unbearable even though I have felt worse before. Now my legs are clear of hair, my eyebrows have been transformed from "hairy tuffs" to "sleek and gorgeous" and I hardly recognize me, myself.

They didn't do too much with the makeup, they said they just wanted to bring more attention and definition to my eyes. So they had swiped my eyelashes with this thing called "mascara" and even I saw how it made them look thicker and more defiant, they brushed eye-shadow onto my eyelids, which tickled more than I had hoped and applied eyeliner as well even though I practically begged them not too. Other than that they didn't do anything else with the cosmetics, except for swiping my lips with a clear gloss, which they continued to apply because I kept licking it off.

What really makes me look different is my hair. And my clothes.

Staring at my reflection, I allow my mouth to fall open. They have given me a dress to wear. A dress. It's a midnight blue cocktail dress, it's strapless, and it has a sakura tree printed in black on the bottom left corner. It's really pretty, but it's a _dress_ and I am _wearing _it. And I'm in heals! I'm wearing strappy, black _heals_.

"Relax," Temari says to me for the thousandth time, "You look stunning."

"Can't I at least pull my hair back in a ponytail?" I brush my thick, dark coloured hair away from my neck, _again_. They'd forced me to take out my hair and leave it down; they brushed it out so that it hung down my back pin-straight as a waterfall. But it was just so god-damn annoying! I had forgotten how troublesome it was, it constantly brushing my neck, tickling it, meaning that I had to constantly brush it back. And to make it worse Sakura had made me swear not to put it back up, I did, but I crossed my fingers. No way was I leaving it down the entire night, but then Ino confiscated my hair ties. _Confiscated them_. Now there was no possible way I could tie it up, that was my last pair…! How I was going to survive this night was a mystery.

"No. You promised you would leave your hair down for the _entire_ night. It hasn't even started and now you want it back up?"

"Come ON Temari! My fingers were crossed." I sigh, it's a lost cause. They're not going to give me back my hair ties.

Abruptly, Ino and Sakura both burst into Temari's bedroom. "He's here!!" They cry, "He's here he's here he's here!!! Come on come on come on!!!" They literally push me out the door and into the small living room area where I lay my eyes on him. My jaw threatens to drop, and I glance doubtfully at my high-heeled feet. _'Disaster in the making,'_ I think. Temari nudges me harshly with her elbow, urging me to step forward, but if I take even a tiny, itsy-bitsy step, I fear my legs will crumble before me as they are turning to pure water.

Slowly, I raise my eyes the smallest bit. I can see a small smile playing on his lips, I think he might be enjoying this crack in my façade. Seeing that I'm glued to my spot on the floor as Temari nudges me again- harder this time- he decides to make the first move, stepping up to me, and enclosing my smaller hand in his larger one.

Daring to raise my head, I meet his eyes. Stealing a quick glance at Sakura and Ino, I know that they're tempted to shove me out the door with him, for if there eyes could shoot daggers, I would surely be long dead now.

"Hi Tenten," My heart leaps at the sound of my name said by his tongue and I feel my hand heating up because I'm so nervous, "You look beautiful tonight. This is going to be fun, trust me." Because I'm watching him so acutely I see the fleeting look he gives to Temari, and with that he leads me from Temari's hotel room.

I trust Neji with every ounce of my being, he saved my life. But I doubt him absolutely if he thinks this date is going to be anything other than a disaster.

__

I don't know where we're going. I don't dare ask in fear that I might say something I'll regret. And so we walk in silence. Neji doesn't release my hand, even though it's hotter than a burning stove top. The feel of my hand in his is both comforting and nerve-racking at the same time, but nevertheless I don't let go.

When we stop at a door way, my eyes are still down, staring at my feet so I don't know who's standing in front of Neji and I, I just know that someone's there because I see their shoes. "Do you have an invitation?" the third pair of shoes asks.

"Neji Hyuuga. I'm on the list," I hear the rustling of paper and then,

"Alright, go straight on in."

Only then do I raise my head to see that we're at the Uchiha Compoud. _'Why are we here?'_

Blaring music sends blood pounding into my ears and for the first time tonight I talk to Neji, "What are we doing here?!" I screech overtop of the music. Just then, Naruto comes bounding up to us, Sasuke trailing behind him.

"Yosh! Neji, my man, glad you could make it!! Oh, hiya Tenten! Did you guys come together?" the thought lights up his face, "Aw that's so cute! I always knew you guys would end up together!" he squeals joyfully.

"Um..yeah," Neji sounds slightly nervous, maybe he's just as scared about this as I am? Probably not, "And congratulations on your anniversary," He nods to both Sasuke and Naruto.

Sasuke's and Naruto's _anniversary_?! Like _wedding _anniversary? Or _dating_ anniversary? I never even knew they weren't straight!

Sasuke walks away, Naruto follows, and now that we're alone again I turn to him looking for something to say. Racking my mind for something I say the first that comes to mind, "Naruto and Sasuke are gay? They're married?! Or are they just going out…? And how come I didn't even know about any of this?"

"Wow, that's the most you've said all night. Yes, Naruto and Sasuke are gay. They're only going out. Two years and counting."

'_It's been two years, and I've never heard of this? Where in the world have I been?'_

Neji's voice snaps me out of my mental thoughts, "So, do you want to dance? Or would you rather stand here all night?"

"I-I can't dance," I reply, embarrassed.

"It's easy, here I'll teach you," He doesn't even give me a chance to object, as he is pulling me onto the dance floor where only couples remain- a slow song has just come on. He slides his hands around my waist and I thank my lucky stars that it's dark, therefore he can't possibly see my blush.

I don't know what to do…I look over to another couple, Kankuro and that girl from the sand…Matsuri, well I think it's them, it's really dark, so I look over at them and see that the girl whom I think is Matsuri has her arms around Kankuro's neck.

I tentatively reach up and rest my arms on my shoulders, and hold my hands together at the back of his neck. He leads me in a slow dance and I slowly find myself relaxing, sooner or later I lay my head against his chest…

__

Oh, my, gosh. That was one of the best and worst nights of my entire existence. I don't even want to go into details about it. It was both amazing and mortifying. Lovely, horrible. But I will give this up: I hate myself for liking/loving/ being infatuated/ having interest in The Hyuuga Prodigy. But I won't deny that I do, which I find shameful.

He and I are walking, he's walking me home- even though I objected several times. It seems as though I have no say in any of my own personal choices today.

We're so close together, shoulders brushing, I can hear ever breath he takes. He brushes his hand against mine. I suddenly feel extremely nervous as he intertwines his fingers with mine, making my skin warm.

But it's not the kind of warm that spreads throughout your body, oh no. It's the kind that makes the rest of your body crawl with goose bumps.

We're nearing my house. I'm not sure if I'm relieved that we're here or devastated.

We walk up the steps.

We are standing in front of the door, right beside the yellow tulips.

I turn to face him, but this time, it's not to accept my defeat at the training field, "Thank you, for taking me out."

Temari was the one who told me to say this, "Okay, when he walks you home at the end, you have to thank him for taking you out. You _have_ to, it's the rules. Even if you had the worst time of your life."

__

Before I know what's going on, his arms are around me. He's leaning in. My breaths are ragged. My eyes are closing, reacting to auto-pilot, I'm not in control; in fact, I think my entire body is. I'm no longer in control of my actions; all that exists is me, me and him. I respond automatically to his touch, his lips are centimetres from mine, millimetres; he's going to kiss me…

"S-stop!" I blurt and jerk away from his hands. What am I doing? I swipe annoyingly at my hair again, and turn so that my back is facing him. I can practically feel his disappointment.

"I- I- I'm s- so, I'm s-sorry Neji."

"It's because your scared isn't it?"

"Yeah," my voice is barely a whisper.

"You don't have to be afraid," he comes around behind me and his muscular arms encircle my waist. I turn to face him- our faces are mere inches apart again, "I'll be right here, with you: the entire time."

He leans in again. My lips yearn for his to touch mine, and yet some unknown part of me says, just as he's about to close that tiny distance between our mouths, "But that's what I'm scared of."

"Face your fears, Tenten," he murmurs, just before he presses his lips against mine.

__

Whoa.

The feeling of Neji's lips against mine is intoxicating. This time the warmth spreads down through my neck and throughout the rest of my body, coating it with an essence of pure bliss. This feeling…I don't know, it just feels so _right_. As though this kiss (my first) has awakened someone inside of me. It's amazing.

Nothing else exists. Reality has melted away, leaving only us two here. I react to his slightest touch. We are one soul, one heart, yet two bodies.

And we aren't even kissing hard. Our kiss is light, but passionate. The slightest amount of pressure sends a wave of pure lust over me. I have everything, but I want more of him.

But, after some odd time, he pulls away all too soon, leaving me both speechless and breathless. He pulls me back into a fervent hug whispering sweet nothings into my long forgotten hair.

"Do you think I'm falling for you, Neji?" I ask softly.

"Of course," He replies.

"How much?"

"Entirely." I can feel him smile into my hair.

"Do you…Do you think I'm…Falling in love, with you?"

"Yes,"

"Do you think I should stop? Could I?"

"I hope not, because you know…I'm falling in love with you too."

I bury my face into his chest, happy to be his. Love may not play fair, but it let me have my fairy-tale ending, so maybe, it's not all that bad.

FINALE FIN.

__

**Voila. **Did you like it? I hope so…Will you review? Pretty please? With wa-mu miso ramen on top?

I can honestly say that I'm really proud of this chappy, _I _think I did pretty good on it. But of course it doesn't matter what _I _think. It matters what _you_ think. So do me a major favour and review?

**Based on my earlier fantasies, when things were simpler and on this really screwed up msn conversation I had in December [2009]. **

**Dedicated to all those who have dared to love, and have been afraid of it.**


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